Bay Briefing: Why San Francisco District Attorney could be the most important part of Kamala Harris’ 2020 resume

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 04: U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) delivers listens as Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh appears for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 4, 2018 in Washington, DC. Kavanaugh was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy on the court left by retiring Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Her record nationally is limited to two years as a senator in the minority party. But as Washington correspondent Tal Kopan writes, it’s her time as a San Francisco prosecutor that informs Harris’ most high-profile impact: her questioning of Trump appointees in the Senate. Those moments have garnered excitement among the Democratic base and grudging respect from some of her Republican counterparts.

Harris’ prosecutor past is also important to her critics on the left, who argue that her prior work in law enforcement has disproportionately harmed people of color, and point to controversial moments during her time as California attorney general.

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Top of the News

•Now off to the legislative races: Let’s get the big news out of the way first: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget proposal includes directing the DMV to accept credit cards. The $209 billion proposal includes increases in funding for education (especially the California State University system and community colleges) and navigation centers.

•It’s no Jet’s: What’s Detroit-style pizza? I’ll leave the particulars up to food writer Jonathan Kauffmanto explain, but the regional pizza variation is growing in popularity in the Bay Area, including through two local Detroit pizza proprietors who have never even been to the Motor City.

•A wet week: After a break in the clouds on Thursday, expect seven days of rain starting on Friday, forecasters say. Despite a series of storms, the area is still under its average rainfall for the year.

•All aboard: Richmond’s last attempt at a ferry service in 1999 fell apart amid low ridership, but this time around anticipation was high. More than 150 riders were aboard the transit service’s first high-speed catamaran journey early Thursday. “I’ve been counting down the days,” said one commuter.

•End of the road: Despite being described as the “future of changing mobility” when it was acquired by Ford Motor Company in 2016, San Francisco commuter shuttle company Chariot is shutting down. The reason is simple: They’re not making enough money. A union representative says they will negotiate severance for Chariot’s drivers but adds “nobody in this country’s been able to figure out how to run transit without subsidies.”

•Water suit: San Francisco has joined a lawsuit against the state for ordering more of the Sierra’s cool, crisp flows to go to fish instead of people. The state’s new water plan — focused on restoring the depleted river system — could lead to water cuts in San Francisco of 20 percent or more, the city says.

The Kicker

Ayush Alag, 17, from Santa Clara, a senior at Harker School, is developing a DNA test to help him battle his food allergies at the Harker School in San Jose on Thursday December 6, 2018.

Photo: Cody Glenn / Special To The Chronicle

Ayush Alag lived with the fear of a life-threatening allergic reaction for years — but he was most frustrated with the lengthy and painful process of allergy testing.

So Alag created a type of DNA test that could potentially be used to quickly identify whether someone has a deadly food allergy. He has received a grant to further his research, has already been credited with breaking new ground, and started a company.

Taylor Kate Brown joined The San Francisco Chronicle in November 2018 as Newsletter Editor. She writes the morning Bay Briefing email and manages The Chronicle’s collection of newsletters.

She previously worked for BBC News for the website’s North American edition in Washington, DC, first as a staff writer and then as features producer and editor. Before the BBC she worked as a Local Editor for Patch in Maryland and earned a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She got her start in journalism at the Connecticut Post.